Densho Digital Archive - Fred Oda Interview (denshovh-ofred

<Begin Segment 18>

TI: So eventually you go to Salinas with your family. So what was Salinas like? How would you describe it?

FO: Well, first time I met so many Japanese from different places. [Laughs] Then you find out, just like any other race, there's good and bad. Yeah, you can't say all Japanese are good.

TI: And so what, what are some... do you have any examples of maybe the good side? What would be something good that happened by seeing all these Japanese?

FO: Well, you met all different type of Japanese at that camp. I don't know how true that is, but a rumor that the guy that was contracted by the government to feed us, he was selling a lot of the things black market. So we were fed not too good, you know. So us young guys, I was at the age where I used to eat about four or five bowls of rice a day, I mean, a meal, you know. So we'd go to one mess hall, we eat and line up, and the next mess hall, eat again. [Laughs] We say, "Oh, heck, this is no good." So we got a job as waiters in the mess hall. And then the cooks were mostly Salinas restaurant owners, you know. Some Isseis said, "Oh, eat up, eat up." And another one would say, "Hey, tarando, tarando, there won't be enough, you know. [Laughs] Lot of fun, funny.

TI: Oh, that's good, though. So you intentionally got a job as waiters, you and I guess some of your friends, just so that you could get more food to eat. Because you were always probably hungry. Any other memories from Salinas that you can recall? Any events or anything?

FO: Yeah, I was with Mas's, Mas Hashimoto, one of his sons died in the assembly center.

TI: His older brother, I think.

FO: Huh?

TI: His brother.

FO: Yeah. He got hurt in a baseball game, and we were lying down underneath the barracks, and then we look at his eyes, and they're getting red, you know. Just then a doctor happened to come by, so, "Hey, look at this guy," and it was brain concussion, yeah.

TI: So let's go back. So were you there when he was hit by the, I think he, my understanding was he was hit by a baseball, is that what happened?

FO: No, he collided with another person, I hear.

TI: Okay. And then, so you were with him after that accident, and he was underneath the barracks. And why were you underneath the barracks?

FO: Well, I guess that was the main drag there, and we were just lying underneath there, few of us, I forgot who else was with me. Yeah, that was quite a sad deal.

TI: And you, but noticed his eyes didn't look right, they were red, and you thought that he should see a doctor?

FO: Yeah.

TI: And was he able to see a doctor right away?

FO: Yeah, I think a doctor happened to come by, Dr. Koda, I guess it was.

TI: But then he had a brain injury.

FO: Yeah.

TI: And so was Mas's brother about your age? Were you friends?

FO: Younger, yeah.

TI: Yeah, that was tragic.